MASON (5-7, 2-3 EIVA) vs No. 15 Penn State (9-6, 4-2 EIVA)
WHEN: 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24, 2017
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
LIVE STATS: SideArm Stats
LIVE VIDEO: Patriot Vision ($)
SERIES RECORD: Penn State leads series 102-15
HONORARY FIRST SERVE: Ric Lucas ('85)

MASON (5-7, 2-3 EIVA) vs Saint Francis (Pa.) (6-9, 2-4 EIVA)
WHEN: 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
LIVE STATS: SideArm Stats
LIVE VIDEO: Patriot Vision ($)
SERIES RECORD: Mason leads series 36-13 FAIRFAX, Va. – The month-long wait for George Mason University's men's volleyball team to return home ends this weekend as Mason hosts Penn State and Saint Francis (Pa.) for a pair of historically charged matches.

Mason won its last meetings with both opponents and those successes to a great extent defined the team's memorable 2016 season. In April the Patriots defeated Penn State in four sets for the program's first win over the Nittany Lions since 2008. A week later, Mason defeated Saint Francis in the EIVA Championship final and lifted the trophy for the first time since 1988.

Head coach Jay Hosack's men will aim to continue their positive streak against the Pennsylvania opponents after dropping two four-set contests in New Jersey last week – against NJIT and Princeton, respectively. Mason has won only one of its last six matches, all of which were on the road – 3-0 at Harvard on Feb. 12.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

The Nittany Lions come to Fairfax wounded after a loss to Sacred Heart at home last weekend, 3-1. That was Penn State's first-ever defeat to the Pioneers and already second in EIVA play this season. Last time the Nittany Lions lost more than one conference contest in one season was 1992 and had never done that under head coach Mark Pavlik. The first EIVA loss of 2017 came in the hands of the Red Flash in a Valentine's Day thriller, which snapped Penn State's five-match winning streak.

Saint Francis comes into the weekend with a 2-4 EIVA record and will visit Charleston (W.Va.) on Friday night. Saint Francis has lost two-straight matches in the RAC Gym but its recent victories against Penn State and EIVA's top team Sacred Heart will make any team think twice before judging the Red Flash by its sub-.500 record, 6-9.